Starting device for explosion engines



se i. 22, 1925.

A. A. A. e. DOM

STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES Filed 0013. 27, 1924 ignitin Patented Sept. 22., 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

Anions ANTOINE Aimmn GHISLAIN noun, or nn's'rnronn, B LGIUM.

sran'rnvo DEVICE am ExrLosioN enemas.

Application filed October 27, 1924. Serial No. 745,976..

To aZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDRE ANTOINE ADELIN GHIsLAIN DOM, subject of the King of the Belgians, residing at Resteigne, in the Kingdom of Belgium, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Explosion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to animproved starting device for explosion engines of the kind in which the starting is produced by introducing into the cylinders an explosive mix-- ture under pressure which is subsequently ignited by a suitable igniting device.

One object of my invention is to secure a starting device of this kind in which the ordinary igniting magneto or other form of igniting device may be uncoupled from the motor at the moment. of starting and rotated manuallyso as to produce the necessary igniting, current, the said magneto or device being then automatically couple again-with the motor shaft as soon 'as the starting is effected.

A furthr object of my invention is to ensure the correct coupling of the igniting device with the engine at the moment of starting so as to obtain a regular feedof electric current to. the'cylinder the, piston of which at this momentwill be at the beginning of its explosion stroke. Anda still'further ob'ect consists 1n providing special means w ereby. the igniting device can be used for the purpose without the necessity 'of'modifying its construction, the electric? current being only operative in a given cylinder without danger of sparks being. produced" in the other cylinders, whatevervm'ay. be theposition of ,the pistons at themom'ent of stopping of the engine.

With these objects. in view my invention essentially consists in the special combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims. a

- Referring to the annexed drawing which shows as an example'one embodiment of my invention:

Fig. 1 shows diagrammatically the driving mechanism for the ordinary igniting magneto of an explosion engine in combination with a s ecial rotating switch.

Fig. 2 is a ront view of a part of-the said drivingmechanism showing an automatic clutching device by a1d of which the igniting magneto may be rotated normally by the motor shaft whilst nevertheless al lowing the manual driving of the igniting magneto. I

Fig. 3 is a diagram of the electrical 'connections between the igniting magneto, the distributor and the rotating switch showing the distribution of the electric current, to the igniting plugs at the. moment of startmg. I

In Fig. 1, 1 is the ordinary cam shaft of the engine which is driven by a toothed wheel 2 contained in the gear-case 3. On the shaft 1, a toothed wheel 4 is mounted driving with a suitable gear-ratio, a wheel 5 which is.keyed upon the shaft 6 of the igniting magneto 7. y

The said shaft 6 drives as usually a distributor 8 of ordinary construction.

The toothed wheel 4, instead of being keyed as usually on the shaft 1 is driven by the said 'shaft through a clutching device com rising a single ratchet 11 which'is lojected outwardly by a spring 12. This is formed in the central 1 is rotated in the direction of. the arrow 15 (Fig. 2) the wheel 4 is driven by the ratchet 11. OnJthe'contrary, if the toothed wheel 4 is rotatedby the toothed wheel 5 in the cate in a cavity of the shaft and is prosame direction, the shaft 1 being at rest, the wheel 4 may be rotated in the direction.

of the arrow 15, whilst driving the ratchet 11 back in the cavity of the shaft v After a complete revolution of, the wheel the said ratchet will be returned to its normal position bythe spring 12. The shaft 6 of the igniting magneto 7 ,is further provided with a toothed wheel 16 gearing with a toothed wheel 17 which is mounted on a shaft 18 which is adapted to be rotated manually by a crank-handle 19.

The arrangement is such that in the normal operation of the engine, the toothed wheel 17 may be disengaged from the toothed wheel 16 for instance by an axial movement of the shaft 18 in the direction shown by the arrow 20 (Fig. 1).

At the end of shaft 1. a metal-plate 21 is ent case four contacts for a tour-cylinder igniting magneto engine) are suitably pressed.

As shown in Fi 3, one of the poles of the is connected to the mass or earthed at 29. The second pole is connected by a wire 30 and a suita-ble sliding contact to a rotating brush 31'which is mounted on the shaft 32 of the usual dis,- tributor. The brush 31 is rotated by the shaft 32 within the insulating ring 33 which is provided with the contacts 34, 35, 36 and 37 connected through the conductors 38, 39, 40 and 41 to the brushes or contacts 23-2425 and 26 of the auxiliary rotating switch comprising the metal plate 21. Each of the contacts 23242526 however is further connected through one of the conductors 42' 43 '44, 45 to one pole of the sparking plugs 27, the second pole of which is connected to the earth at 46 as usually.

The device just described operates as follows:

. During the normal operation of the en gine, the igniting magneto 7 feeds the electrio-current through the rotating brush 31 successivelyto the contacts 34, 35, 36, 37 of the distributor 10 of the igniting magneto, the said distributorbeing rotated at the .required speed that is to say in the present instance (four cylinder-engine) at the speed of the camshaft 1.' The current impulses are then transmitted through the conductors 38, 39, 40, 41 to the contacts 23, 24, 25, 26 ot' the auxiliary rotating switch 21.

As the metal plate 21 of the said switch is mounted on the cam shaftit is rotated at the same speedas the rotating brush 31 of the distributor 10 of the ignitingmagnet 7,.in such a manner. that, each time the rotating brush'31 passes over one of the contacts 34-, 35, 36, 37-of the distributonthe insulating 'part22 of the metal plate 21 passes under thecorresponding contact 23,24, 25 or 26 of the auxiliaryrotating switch. As the circuit cannot close itself through the earth on account of the presence of-the insulating part 22 carried by the metal plate 21, the current passes successively through the conductors 42, 43,44 and 45 to the sparking plugs 27 where the circuit of the igniting magneto is then closed through the earth 46.

To start the engine, a compressed gas, for instance air under pressure which has been carbureted by passage through a suitable carburettor, is introduced by well known means (not shown) into the cylinders of the engine. The rotor of the igniting magneto 7 is then manually rotated by aid of the crank-handle 19. Owing to the gear ratio of the toothed wheels 17 and 16, the rotation takes place at a high speed. This rotation is possible as indeed atthis moment the toothed wheel 14, which is driven by the toothed Wheel 5 is adapted to rotate owingto the presence of the clutching device formed by the ratchet 11 cooperating with the driving face 13. But,the distributor 10 of the igniting magneto 7 is then also rotated by -the toothed wh'eels 8-9 in such a manner that, although the engine is at rest, the rotating brush 31 passes successively on the contacts 34, 35, 36, 37 sending the current through the conductors 38, 39, 40, 41 to the contacts 23, 24, I25, 26 cooperating with the plate21 of the auxiliary rotating switch. Themetal plate 21 being mounted on the cam-shaft of the engine, the, position of. the insulating ,part 22 relatively to the contacts 23, 24, 25, 26 will always correspond to the cylinder the piston of which at this moment will be in its explosion position in such a manner that when the rotating brush 31 is passing over the corresponding contact of the distributor 10, the current will be conducted from the said contact to the sparking plug of the said cylinder. On the contrary when the rotating brush, 31 will pass over the contacts of the distributor 10 corresponding to the other cylinders no explosion will take place in these cylinders. the igniting magneto being short-circuited through the metal plate 21 connected to the earth at 47.

It will be observed that should the starting of the engine not succeed for any reason whatever, under the explosion taking place in the first/cylinder, the partial rotation of the metal plate 21-resulting from the rotation of the cam-shaft, would result in bringing the insulating part 22 under another of the contacts'23, 24, 25, 26 corresponding to the following cylinder, the piston of which will be at the beginning of the explosion stroke. On the other hand. whatever may be the cylinder which will cause finally the starting of the engine, for each complete revolution of thetoothed wheel 4 driven by the toothed wheel 5, the said wheel 4 will be in the required position to be driven b the cam-shaft 1 if the said shaft is rotate by the engine. Consequently whatever may be the moment of starting of the engine the driving of the igniting magneto 7 by the engine will take place automatically immediately through the action of the ratchet l1 cooperating with the driving face 13 of the toothed wheel 4. a i I In each case also, the" usual distributor 10 view of the fact that the position of the rotating brush 31 in the distributor 10 will always be in the required relation relatively tothe position of the metal plate 21 of the rotating switch, the toothed wheel 4 being invention it has been supposed that the same is applied to a four cylinder engine.

The device however may also be used m connection with any type of multi-cylinders engine, of the gear-ratio between the driving gear of the magneto-shaft and the driving gear of the distributor and rotating SWltOltlS conveniently chosen according to the number of cylinders. y 1 I am aware that similar devices have already been proposed in which it is alsomade use of a clutching device comprising a single ratchet operating in a tooth of a wheel mounted on the shaft of the magneto and ofa magneto distributor the rotation of which is placed under the dependence of the rotation of the engine shaft. In such devices however thearmature of the magnetois disengaged from the engine at the mo-' ment of starting and the distributor is maintained at rest with the engine during the independent rotation of the magneto. It

happens frequently in such a case that the distributor stops with the engine in such a position that its sliding contact or brush does not be upon the fixed contact to which the current must be fed by the magneto in such a manner that the sending of the igniting current. to the engine is impossible.

Such inconveniences are avoided in a satisfactory manner when it 18 made use of the above described arrangement on account of the presence of the auxiliary rotating switch 21 by which all the sparking plugs of the engine are short-circuited except the one corresponding to the piston which stands in the starting position.

What I claim is: v

1. In a starting device for explosion engines in combination with an igniting device and wit a shaft, the said shaft being driven by the engine, a transmitting gear between the said shaft and the igniting device, a clutching device cooperating with the said transmitting gear, whereby the igniting device may be rotated independently from the rotation of the shaft although being clutched with the said shaft at each rotation,of the same, an ordinary distributor mounted on the igniting device and an auxiliar rotating switch mounted on the engine s raft whereby the current distributed by the igniting device is normally shortcircuited excepted for the engine cylinder, the pistonof which stands in the starting position.

2. In a starting device for'explosion engines in combination with an igniting deinder, the

vice and with a shaft, the said shaft being a transmitting gear ".to the sliding contacts. of the rotating switch and means whereby the said conductors are short-circuited excepted for the engine cylpiston of which stands in the starting position. v

a Ina device of the kind described, in

combination with an explosion engine, an

igniting device, a distributor mounted on the said igniting device, a transmitting gear between the engine and the igniting device, means whereby the igniting device may be driven independently of the engine electrical connections between the distributor of the igniting device and the sparking plugs of the engine and an auxiliary rotating switch inserted in the said connections, whereby the said connections are short circuited excepted for the engine-cylinder, the piston of which stands in the starting position.

4. In a device of the kind described, in combination with an explosion engine, an igniting device, a distributor mounted on the said igniting device, a transmitting gear between the engine and the igniting device, means whereby the igniting device may be driven when the engine is at rest, electrical connections between the distributor of the igniting device and the sparking plugs of the engine, an earthed metal plate the said metal plate being rotated at the same speed" as the magneto distributor and being provided with an insulated part, sliding contacts cooperating with the metal plate and its insulated part, the said sliding contacts being inserted in the electrical connections and short circuiting the sparking plugs through the metal plate excepted for the engine cylinder, the piston of which stands in the starting positlon.

5..In a device of the kind described in combination with an explosion engine, a shaft driven by the engine, a spring actuated ratchet carried by the said shaft, a toothed wheel on the sa1d shaft, the said toothed wheel being provided with a driving face which is acted upon by the said ratchet, an igniting device driven by the said toothed wheel, means whereby the said igniting device may be manually driven when the engine is at rest, a distributor mounted on the trical connections between the fixed contact of the said distributor and the sparking plugs of the engine, an earthed metal plate mounted on the shaft driven by the engine and being provided with an insulated segment, sliding contacts cooperating with the said metal plate and its insulated segment,

the said sliding contacts being inserted in the electrical connections and short-circuiting the sparking plugs which are connected 10 to the sliding contacts resting on the metal plate.

In-testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

ANDRE ANTOXNE mum cmsmm DOM. 

